Keeping Goats - Pygmy Goats

[WomanOfTheWoods]

I've been thinking about getting a few goats. However, I don't want them to wreck the woodland, trash the garden and strip the bark from the thousands of young trees. So my plan is to build a paddock especially for the goats, with some natural elements,, logs to climb on, a field shelter etc. And only allow them in the woods supervised on head collars..

I'm wanting them for both their milk and their happiness /cuteness factor. And I'm thinking about getting pygmy goats. Does anyone have experience of keeping them. Can something so wee really produce 1.5l of milk per day?

[jansman]

I've been thinking about getting a few goats. However, I don't want them to wreck the woodland, trash the garden and strip the bark from the thousands of young trees. So my plan is to build a paddock especially for the goats, with some natural elements,, logs to climb on, a field shelter etc. And only allow them in the woods supervised on head collars..

I'm wanting them for both their milk and their happiness /cuteness factor. And I'm thinking about getting pygmy goats. Does anyone have experience of keeping them. Can something so wee really produce 1.5l of milk per day?

Feed them well, yes. I kept Toggenbergs and British goats, not Pygmy, but milk yield was good. Not subtle I know, but as a butcher, I sold them to Muslim butchers. However, they are lovely animals to keep besides. I don’t have the land now, if I did, I’d have them in a heartbeat.

They WILL eat anything. So,your thoughts about them wrecking the joint ARE justified!

[WomanOfTheWoods]

Thanks Jansman, I'm thinking of making a paddock with rylex sheep fencing, with a top wire of barbed wire. And having a small stable in the field. Another alternative is to run a corridor of electric netting so they can walk from the field to a byre.
But the current price of fence posts, and wood is astronomical.

Knowing my luck, I'd probably get buck kids ( if that's a word), or bucklings,, boy kids from the nannies.
Then give them names and then I couldn't bear to part with them,, so I'd have them neutered and have them as pets..... so not exactly achieving my milk production goals.
As there's no Halal butchers here then I'd have the perfect excuse for keeping them.

[Rusty74]

the wife has always wanted pygmy goats,i did look into getting a cph number but that was as far as i got,there is a breeder in the village where are caravan is so everytime we go there i have to stop and let her see the goats and let her name the three that she wants to take home with us...

[British Red]

Thanks Jansman, I'm thinking of making a paddock with rylex sheep fencing, with a top wire of barbed wire. And having a small stable in the field. Another alternative is to run a corridor of electric netting so they can walk from the field to a byre.
But the current price of fence posts, and wood is astronomical.

Knowing my luck, I'd probably get buck kids ( if that's a word), or bucklings,, boy kids from the nannies.
Then give them names and then I couldn't bear to part with them,, so I'd have them neutered and have them as pets..... so not exactly achieving my milk production goals.
As there's no Halal butchers here then I'd have the perfect excuse for keeping them.

Is there a reason that you wouldn't eat the bucks? I find goat meat really palatable - especially curried.

[WomanOfTheWoods]

Hi British Red,
I've kept sheep and eaten them. And goat curry is yummy.

I'm only planning on getting a few goats. The rules regarding slaughtering, cost of transportation of animals, the distance to the slaughter house and butchering costs are prohibitive for producing a few goats for meat where I live.

But mainly that having a few goats with names is different ( for me) than having 100 ewes with lambs at foot.
I suppose I will be treating the goats more like pets.
I know!!! I'm hopeless

[jansman]

Hi British Red,
I've kept sheep and eaten them. And goat curry is yummy.

I'm only planning on getting a few goats. The rules regarding slaughtering, cost of transportation of animals, the distance to the slaughter house and butchering costs are prohibitive for producing a few goats for meat where I live.

But mainly that having a few goats with names is different ( for me) than having 100 ewes with lambs at foot.
I suppose I will be treating the goats more like pets.
I know!!! I'm hopeless

You are not hopeless.Even as a butcher,I become attached to animals.It’s human.